


Prom Night

by thegoldenkittenking (empty_cup_and_a_chipped_heart)



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/M, angsty fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-22
Updated: 2017-06-22
Packaged: 2018-11-17 11:45:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11274744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/empty_cup_and_a_chipped_heart/pseuds/thegoldenkittenking
Summary: After a failed attempt as asking Carol out, Daryl has low expectations for how prom will turn out. However, much to his surprise, it's nothing like he assumed.





	Prom Night

The flowers are starting to wilt. Daryl spent his morning carefully picking out perfect blooms on the Cherokee Rose bush next to his house. The stems are wrapped in yesterday’s newspaper and tied together with a ribbon that matches her eyes. He glances at the clock. Almost two. That’s when her third block gets out and then he can ask her. Out. To prom. As his date. Not as his friend like he was originally going to do. No, he finally has the balls to ask Carol Mason to be his prom date. 

Prom frenzy has swept their high school. It’s five weeks away and everyone is already planning promposals and group dates and color coordination. Merle’d always looked down on shit like this and Daryl agreed with him. Before. But Merle’s in jail and Carol’s here and pretty and his friend and fuck he’s wanted to date her forever. So today he’s gonna ask and put up with all the bullshit to spend one night with her. Just one night. 

His palms are sweaty and his stomach is tight with nerves. He can’t stop tapping his fingers on the truck’s steering wheel. He glances at the clock again. Still no closer to two. He sits and waits and taps, until he drives himself insane. 

He’ll wait outside Carol’s class to catch her. And then he’ll ask. 

By the time he makes it to her class, she’s already out, standing in front talking to Tara and Michonne. In her arms is the biggest bouquet of roses he’s ever fucking seen. The type that costs an entire month’s pay from the garage he works at. His stomach begins to fall and he feels sick.

Tara and Michonne say their goodbyes as he walks up, melting into the crowds. Maybe this isn’t what he thinks it is.

“Where’d ya get those?” he asks as soon as he’s in earshot. Maybe she’s just holding them for someone. 

“Oh, Ed. He asked me to prom at lunch.” His face falls and he feels slightly sick. Her foreheads creased in confusion. “Are you okay?”

“What? Yeah, ‘m fine. Happy for ya.” He tries to school his expression into a more neutral position. 

“Uh… thanks.” She looks at her flowers, almost disgruntled.

“They’re kinda ridiculous.” It slips out of his mouth. He thinks they’re the most ridiculous thing he’d ever seen. It’s prom not a wedding for fuck’s sake. But Carol doesn’t need to know that. He needs to be supportive and a good friend even if this is destroying him inside. 

 

“No, they definitely are.” Her smile is quite real. Daryl’s become well-versed in Carol-smiles over the years, and this isn’t a true Carol-smile. Her smile falls. “I was kinda hoping someone else would ask me.”

“Oh. Tara?”

Carol lets out a snort. “No. She’s just a friend and going with Denise anyway.” She tosses her auburn curls over her shoulder. He fucking loves it when she wears her hair down. They’re so pretty. 

He shifts from foot to foot, miserable. The entire morning he spent every moment going over every terrible thing that could happen, and he hadn’t even thought of this. That someone would beat him to the punch and ask her before he did. And for it to be Ed Peletier, confirmed shithead, of all people. He’s pissed and miserable. 

“Ya need a ride?” he asks, like he always does. He won’t let this ruin their friendship. It’s too stupid to let his own personal hopes get in the way of the one relationship he’s come to value this most in his life. 

“No. My mom’s picking me up. Can I get a ride tomorrow, though?” 

“Course.” That gives him twelve hours to get over this crushing disappointment and back to the normal course of their relationship. Which includes massive amounts of pining on his part. At least he didn’t ask her and embarrass himself. She’d definitely would have said no. 

“Did you want something?” Carol asks, still holding the roses.

“Forgot. Gotta go. See ya tomorrow.” 

Her confusion is written plainly on her face. He always walks her over to where her mom picks her up. They laugh and joke and chat. Today, he can’t just fucking walk over and carry her bouquet of roses and pretend everything is normal. Not yet. Not when his stomach feels like it's somewhere near his feet and his eyes burn. Tomorrow yeah, today? No. 

“Oh… Okay. See you tomorrow morning.” She gives a little wave as he turns and walks away. Somehow this feels worse and he didn’t fucking think it could feel worse. 

He realizes, once he’s back in his truck, that he never brought his flowers with him. They sit forlornly, drooping and browning at the edges. He sweeps him to the floor in disgust. What a fucking miserable day.  
***

The next few weeks leading up to prom are painful. Ed’s been hanging around them, now that Carol’s going with him to prom. Which means Daryl is trying to distance himself as much as possible. Having to spend any amount of time third-wheeling Ed and Carol is hell, which is why Daryl sits at the end of their lunch table and scowls. Aaron and Eric have been trying to engage him in a conversation the entire lunch. He’s spent most of lunch watching Carol. She doesn’t look happy. Not properly happy. 

“I’m really sorry about what happened with Carol.” Eric says. Carol catches Daryl’s eyes from where she’s at on the other end of the table. She gives him a tentative smile and he turns back to his meager lunch. Didn’t have no time to go shopping yesterday so he’s at the dregs of his food. With Merle in prison and his daddy somewhere between Georgia and California it’s up to him to fend for himself.

Daryl shrugs in response to Eric’s sympathy. “‘S whatever.”

“Still, we know how much you wanted to ask Carol out. It’s okay to be upset.” Aaron and Eric were the ones who convinced him to even attempt asking Carol. As futile as it was.

“If you want you can come with us. To prom.” Aaron offers.

“Nah.” The only thing worse than going alone is third-wheeling a happy couple. He might as well just write “Lonely Fuck” on a piece of paper and wear it around. “Think I’ll just stay home and watch Netflix or somethin’.” 

“Well the offer still stands, if you change your mind.” Aaron replies. Neither will pressure him into going with them. They know his too well.

Carol catches his eyes and smiles. He returns her smile, spreading easily across his face. Always a sucker for her. She slides out from under Ed’s arm and walks over to join Aaron, Eric, and him. Ed doesn’t even notice her leaving, too wrapped up in whatever stupid fucking story he’s telling his friends. 

“Hey.” Carol sits next to him, her knee bumping into his. Daryl sucks in a breath, the touch sending a jolt through him. Her knee stays pressed against his and he doesn’t dare move. To enraptured with the softest touch from her.

“Hey.” It comes out more like a squeak. Aaron and Eric watch them in quiet interest, but Eric is smirking at him from across the table. 

“I haven’t seen you in a while. How are you?” Carol asks. It’s his fault. Ed’s constantly hanging around her and it pisses him off to no end. All he wants to do is punch Ed in the face, something is sure Carol won’t appreciate. So instead he tries to avoid it all, trying not to do something and lose her friendship.

“‘M good.” He picks at the vinyl of the lunch table, unable to meet her eyes. 

She shifts and presses her knee against his again. He looks up; Carol smiles wider at him and he smiles back. He can’t help himself. He must look like the dopiest fucking idiot and the look on Aaron’s face just confirms his suspicions. 

“Good. Have you seen Merle lately?” Carol asks. Carol knows about Merle and all the shit he got into. She also knows about how much Daryl cares about him and she always makes a point to ask about Merle. 

“Visited last week. Still a dumbass.”

Carol laughs, her nose scrunches up adorably. “Sounds like Merle.” She’s quiet for a moment, twisting the charm bracelet he bought for her birthday two years ago around her wrist. “I was wondering if we could get together this weekend? To hang out?” 

“Sounds great.” The words are out of his mouth before he can even process what she even asked. Aaron and Eric are now both smirking at his overly enthusiastic reply. 

“Great! I’ll text you later.” The bell goes off, ringing shrilly. Carol stands up to leave, touching his shoulder gently as she goes. She’s always careful when she touches him. Most of his past has been divulged over the years, well everything he was comfortable saying, and Carol put the pieces together. His shoulder burns. He can feel every imprint of her fingers. 

Aaron stands up and leans across the table, “You’ve got it bad.”

Daryl can feel the color rising in his cheek. “Shut up.”  
***

Daryl is studiously ignoring the clock. Which means he’s glancing at it with every passing moment. Half of him wishes he was there, skulking in the corner of the dimly lit hotel ballroom. The other half knows he’d be just as miserable there as he is here at home. What he really wants is to be with Carol drinking shitty punch and admiring how her navy dress makes her eyes look even bluer. (She showed him a picture when they hung out, asking if it looked okay. As far as he was concerned, Carol could wear a fucking garbage bag and he’d think she looked amazing.) 

The ringing of his phone pulls him out of his reverie. The screen lights up with the caller ID. 

Carol. Why the fuck would she be calling him?

“Hey.” He answers. 

“Can you pick me up?” Carol sounds embarrassed. Like she shouldn’t be asking him for a favor. “I know it’s late but--”

“No I got ya. Be there in fifteen.”  
***  
Carol’s standing outside the hotel, playing with her phone. The moonlight hits her hair turning it from copper to silver. As soon as she spots the pick-up, she comes running up. 

“Thanks.” She says, pulling open the door. She climbs in and buckles her seatbelt. Her satin bell-shaped skirts spread across the cracked vinyl seats. 

“No problem. Are ya okay?” He asks. She wouldn’t call him for just anything; she hates to ask for favors, never wanting to overstep the line. But something had to have happened for her to make a hasty retreat from prom at 9:30.

“I’m fine.” The emphasis makes him nervous. “Ed is--” She pauses a moment. “I kinda punched him in the face.”

“Ed? Peletier? Your date?”Daryl’s baffled. Carol’s not really the violent type. Usually.  
“Yeah.”

The truck is quiet for a moment, the only sound is coming from the soft click of his blinker. Carol’s worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. “Aren’t you going to ask if he deserved it?”  
“Course he did.” As fas as Daryl’s concerned, Ed deserves to be punched daily.  
Carol snorts. “He told me that if we were dating, I couldn’t be friends with you anymore. And then he tried to manhandle me. So… I punched him. In the nose.”

“Fuck, Carol.” He says, impressed.

“I don’t even know why I ever said yes in the first place.” She sighs.

“Why did ya?” It’s something he’s wanted to know for weeks. But it never felt right. Why she chose to go to prom with Ed isn’t any of his business.”

“I don’t know.” She shrugs and begins to play with her charm bracelet. “I guess… I just couldn’t say no? Everyone is always talking about how charming and popular he is and how any girl would be lucky to go out with him. Ed asked me so publicly too , there was a lot of pressure to say yes. And I was kinda flattered. I really wasn’t expecting to be asked at all. It’s stupid.”

“It ain’t stupid.” He glances over at her, she catches his eye and smiles.

“Well it’s a stupid reason to waste time with someone so odious. Especially for something that’s supposed to be fun.” 

“Odious. Nice SAT vocab word.” 

“Thanks.” He can hear her eye roll in her voice. 

“But ya got ta live the dream. Punchin’ Peletier. I’m jealous, wish I coulda seen it.”

“I’m pretty sure Tara filmed it.” 

“That’s great.” He’s definitely gonna ask Tara to send that to him.

Carol shares the rest of Prom Drama with him. How Zeke demanded everyone call him King Ezekiel and spent the entire night pretending to be an Elizabethan king-- method acting for the King Lear performance the Drama class is putting on. Lori stood up Rick for Shane, who then spent the entire evening flirting with Andrea.

“Rick’s doing okay though. He ended up with Michonne and when I was leaving they were making plans for a coffee date.” Carol finishes.

“Whole lotta shit happened.”

“Yeah. But that’s prom.” Carol’s quiet for a beat. “I don’t really want to go home yet.”

“Ya can come home with me if ya want. Merle’s still in jail and my dad’s fuck knows where.”

“Okay.”

They spend the rest of the drive in companionable silence. Daryl’s fucking thrilled she dumped Ed at prom and is spending the night with him. That Carol wants to spend the rest of her night with him. He’s both thrilled and nervous.   
***

They’re sitting on the sagging porch drinking the carbonated apple juice Carol likes so much. Daryl keeps a small stash for her underneath his bed.

“I can’t believe you got me drinking this stuff.”

“It’s delicious.” Carol says, feigning offense. 

They sit in silence letting the sounds of late-spring Georgia wash over them. Carol sets down her can and turns to him, a serious expression on her face.

“Will you do something for me?” she asks.

Anything. He puts his can on the lower step. “What is it?” 

A smile is creeping across her face. “Slow dance with me? It’s an iconic prom activity, and I’m missing it.” She pouts just a bit and he’s a goner.

His mouth goes dry and his palms start to sweat. “I ain’t very good at dancing.”

“You don’t have to be good. All you do is sway in a circle.” She stands up shaking out her dress and offers her hand.

He takes it and lets her pull him up and lead him into the living room. When they are standing in the middle of his shitty living room, she takes his hands and places them on her her waist. Carol loops her arms around his neck, careful to avoid his scars. His hands are in tight fists, holding nothing but the fabric of her dress. 

“I won’t bite. Unless you want me to.” She smiles a wicked grin and he nearly groans.

“Stop.” he mumbles. A violent blush spreads across his face.

She giggles and begins to lead them in a very slow circle. It takes him three complete turns to relax and enjoy himself. Carol’s pressed up against him, her head against his shoulder, content. She’s warm and soft and it’s easy to lose himself. Easy to just be in this moment. 

Daryl has no idea how long they stay like this swaying in the middle of the living room. He’s never been this happy in his shitty house in his entire life. 

“I was gonna ask ya to prom. Before.” He blurts out. “I got ya flowers and everythin’.” He comes to an abrupt halt. None of this was supposed to be confessed. Ever. But here he is. 

She’s quiet and he’s waiting for the bombshell to drop. That she doesn’t like him like that, and she’d prefer it if they just stayed friends. He’ll take it. Better to just be friends than lose her completely.

He’s about to apologize when she cuts in. “I would have said yes.” 

“Oh.” Daryl has no idea what to do with this information. Is he supposed to ask her out? Should he kiss her? Is it too late?

“Daryl. I’m going to kiss you now.”

“Okay.” He says dumbly. This night is not how he thought it was going to go at all.

She unclasps her hands from behind his neck and slides them down his shoulders to his chest. He knows she’s letting him have time to stop it or pull away. The only thing he can do is stand still, dumbstruck. She leans in slowly and presses her lips against his in the softest, chastest kiss. 

She pulls away and settles her head on his shoulder. He still can’t move, replaying the last few minutes in his mind. How the fuck did he get here?

She’s waiting for a reaction. Her brows are beginning to furrow in concern.

“Ya wanna go for coffee? Like a date or somethin’?”

“Or something.” Carol’s smile is wide and goofy. He isn’t sure his is much better. 

“Tomorrow?” he asks, his mouth getting ahead of his brain. He’s way to eager. Isn’t he supposed to play it cool and pretend that he doesn’t want to desperately date her?

“That sounds great.” She tucks her head against his shoulder and they continue to sway.  
***  
Daryl picks her up at ten. He’s been ready since eight and he’s been awake since five. Three hours of sleep aren’t a lot to run on, but he’d been so hyped up on the thought of going on a date with Carol that he couldn’t get himself to settle after he dropped her off at home. 

A part of him is anxious. Not just because he’s going on a date, but because he isn’t sure what this will do to his and Carol’s relationship. They’ve been friends for so long and her friendship has become so important to him he doesn’t want to ruin it. In anyway. Their relationship is headed into uncharted territory and he has no idea what will happen. 

Carol comes skipping down her driveway and into his car. She looks as tired as he feels but she’s beaming with joy. 

“I so need this coffee. I’m exhausted.” 

“Me too. Oh, hey.” He reaches down and grabs the flowers out of his coffee holder. “Got these for ya.” It’s a remake of the ones he picked for prom. He even found another ribbon in the same blue. 

“Daryl! They match my bracelet. Thank you.” When he bought her the charm bracelet he also got one charm: a Cherokee Rose. Although she’s filled it in over the years, Carol still says that particular charm is her favorite. 

“Yer welcome.” He’s embarrassed now. 

“Wait a moment.” She opens the pick-up door and runs back into her house. 

Carol’s back a moment later. “Sorry. I wanted to get those in water before they wilted.”

After their coffee date, he walks her up to her door. And then he kisses her. She’s just as soft as she was last night and tastes of coffee and vanilla scones. 

“Daryl?” She’s breathless and flushes and has never looked prettier.

“Yeah?”

Her eyes are blue. Like the sky or like the ocean or some other poetic shit he never really cared for. 

“I think this was the best prom ever.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I love comments! :)


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